Leaders Dortmund give up 3-goal lead

Borussia Dortmund squandered a three-goal lead and drew with Hoffenheim 3-3 at home then watched Bayern Munich cut its lead in the Bundesliga to five points.

Bayern took advantage of Dortmund's second successive league slip-up by beating Schalke 3-1 in the late game, lifting the six-time defending champion back to second place.

Jadon Sancho starred for Dortmund in the absence of injured captain Marco Reus, but instead of putting the pressure on Bayern with what would have been a 10-point gap ahead of the late game, they allowed Hoffenheim to come back.

"A very bitter outcome," Dortmund midfielder Mario Goetze said.

Dortmund, which drew at Eintracht Frankfurt last weekend, was missing coach Lucien Favre due to illness, and with Reus also out due to a muscular injury in Tuesday's German Cup exit to Werder Bremen, there were fears of a tough game against old rival Hoffenheim, which is fighting for European qualification.

But those fears seemed misguided with Sancho sparkling, particularly in the first half.

BAYERN BITES BACK

Bayern, which slumped to a 31 defeat at Bayer Leverkusen last weekend, bounced back with a comprehensive defeat of Schalke, which could easily have lost by more.

Robert Lewandowski, criticized by former Germany midfielder Dietmar Hamman last week, was involved in all three goals, scoring one to lift his season tally to 13.

Lewandowski caused an own goal from Jeffrey Bruma in the 11th minute and restored Bayern's lead in the 27th, two minutes after Ahmed Kutucu scored with Schalke's first foray forward.

Serge Gnabry sealed Bayern's win before the hour-mark after Lewandowski inadvertently set him up with a bicycle kick.

GLADBACH BEATEN

Moenchengladbach, which had been second, lost to Hertha Berlin 3-0. Gladbach had previously won all nine of its home games this season.